Toretto (District)
The District of Toretto is in the West-Central part of the Republic of Awesome and is divided into two enclaves, East Toretto and West Toretto and are notable for their succinct cultural differences. The people of this district are well known for their love of birds, with them featuring in many national icons, artworks, works of literature and food. It is nicknamed the "Avian District" due to the large amounts of birds, both domesticated and wild that inhabit this district. Notable residents include the RoA's Chief Engineer and his extremely compentant assistant. Points of interest includes the Bogan Proof Fence, Drop Bear Forest and the Mad Scientist Research and Development Centre. Its inhabitants are commonly referred to as Torettans. Etymology The origins of the name Toretto are unknown, but possibly it is the corruption of the Japanese To(ri)reto, which means "the isles of the birds." Official District Anthem We dance, we dance, we dance, Around the Mexican hat! We dance, we dance, we dance, Around the Mexican hat! Official District Funeral March Starts with the the opening cords of Chopin's famous funeral March: Bb--Bb-Bb-Db-C-C-Bb-Bb--Bb out into guitars I'm comin' up so you better get this party started! I'm comin' up so you better get this party started! Geography Both parts of Toretto are enclaves wholly surrounded by Australia, with their location due west from the capital, Awesome New Prussia (District) The two enclaves are of equal size and are named East and West Toretto for obvious reasons. West Toretto is located two kilometres west of East Toretto. East Toretto is notable for their meadows, wild untamed bushland on its western and southern quadrants. The entire enclave is surrounded by a two metre fence of Poison Ivy, a plant notorious for its skin and eye irritating properties and forms a notorious defense barrier against unwanted invaders that has proven itself again and again. There is a large mixture of species, both native and foreign to the Australasian continent that inhabits the East Toretto bio-region. Climate Both parts of Toretto experience a Koppen Hot Humid Continental Climate (Dfa). Toretto is well known for its hot summers, cold winters and moderate springs and autumns. Rainfall falls evenly throughout the year. Wildlife A wide variety of birds inhabit this district including Cockatoos, Cockatiels, Rosellas, Lorikeets, Fairy Wrens, Willy Wagtails, Magpies and Currawongs, hence its nickname: the Avian District. However, feral cats from Australia are the most unwelcome of visitors that threaten the existence of our most valued fauna. A cat proof fence is in the process of legistlation, with the Security Bill SB 7020 "Bogan Proof Fence" under consideration. Also a note to foreigners: beware of the drop bears. Drop Bears For all those visting this district, beware. Drop bears are notoriously vicious creatures who kill unsuspecting tourists on sight. The drop bear density of this district is abnormally high, with roughly two hundred drop bears per square kilometre. No real measurments can be made on the outskirts of the district where 99% of drop bears lived. Every researcher who visited there had never came back. Bogan Proof Fence Using the Rabbit Proof Fence in Western Australia as inspiration, a glass wall has been built around the district as the final word in bogan defence. Since bogans* do not pocess the brainpower to see glass, they walk right into it repeatedly until they knock themselves out where they picked up by the local municipal authorities and disposed of in Queenbeayan. This proposition is immensely popular amongst the local population, passing the District House of Representatives with over two thirds of the vote and 72% for 26% against in a public referendum held on the 19th December 2012. The Bill will be put under consideration by the District Senate in early Autumn 2013. If the bill is succesful, the district will be bogan proof by 2016. However, the construction of the fence have been put on hold as the District's judges argue wether it is constitutional to exclude other Homo Sapiens and if it interferes with Australian Common Law, a law that the district obeys in conjunction with the laws of the Republic it is currently a member of. Also, the judges argue if the fence's construction is to go ahead, it should be made out of bullet proof glass as morbidely obese bogans repeatedly walking into normal crown glass has been shown to break in tests in the Mad Scientist Research and Developemnt Centre. Since the costs of bullet proof glass is very high, the construction of the fence is put on hold until the district can raise funds to build the fence, which would likely be in 2014, a financial year after which several businesses would be opened providing much needed revenue to the recession stricken government. *Also called rednecks, yokels, chavs or the great unwashed. History Tired of Australia's stiflingly conservative social values*, both parts of Toretto seceded from Australia on the 23rd of November 2012. They acceded to the Republic of Awesome the following day on the 24th November 2012. *A diplomatic cover up. The main reason why they seceded from Australia was that they didn't want their tax money to be given out by politicians to bogans. And they also didn't want to be in the same country as them. Demographics They are of, of present, an estimated 9 citizens in Torretto as of the 2012 census. Of these, and estimated 56% are Caucasian, 34% Mixed Race and 10% Asian, forming a diverse cultural and ethnic mix. Of these, 22% ( 2 individuals) have Republic of Awesome Citzenship. The average family has an estimated 2.5 children.The de facto national language is English, spoken by 100% of inhabitants. 56% of Torettos are bilingual, with Japanese and French speakers make up 45% and 11% of the population respectively. The district is proudly 0% bogan. Religion Due to privacy laws, the religion of the population cannot be ascertained. However, most residents of this overwhelmingly secular district are believed to be either irreligious or unaffiliated to any major religion. However, to abate the current drop bear incursion, the drop bears are asking for human sacrifices. A small cult was formed until the government, with sub woofer machine guns, blasted half the drop bear population into oblivion. As of January 2013, no human sacrifice requests have been made by the Drop Bears. Politics The governing Libertarian has gained three quarters of the seats in the state legistlature against the Opposition Democratic Party. Social Issues The people of this district are strongly liberal on social issues, where gay marriage is legal and pay discrimination due to race, gender and sexuality illegal to the highest degree. Discrimination of any kind due to trivial reasons such as race, gender and sexuality is frowned upon by most citizens. The people of this district believe that the possession of small amounts of harmful drugs should only be prosecutable by a small fine rather than a jail sentence. Economic Regulation In economic terms, the people of Toretto belive that big business, the elite and big goverment wield too much power in our present societies. To combat this, all public officials and campaigns are banned form receiving donations greater than $2,500 from individuals and $5,000 from trusts, unions and corporations. taxes on corporate profits, like income taxes, are progressive to prevent larger corporations form squashing their rivals and making uncompetitive monopolies. Stringent regulations have been imposed on financial institutions to reign thier wild gambles and excesses in, with small taxes on stock, bond and derivative trades (1%) put into place to stabilise the stock markets and move it away form its current form of casino capitalism and also provide valuable government revenue that the district spends on infrastructure and education to increase future economic growth whilst reducing the probability of stock market crashes. The tax code is simple and straightforward with no loopholes except for the charitable deduction. The government provides unemplyment benefits to those out of work, but only if they apply for thrity different positions every week and that they pay it back after they join their workforce with interest being at the inflation rate so that the government doesn't go bankrupt. Maximising Social Mobility Economic politicies of this district are designed to maximise social mobility, with free and well funded education provides the better outcomes to all children from all socioeconomic backgrounds, with an emphasis on nurturing talent and entrepeneurism. Universal healthcare is provided to all citizens of this district, which is funded by a 4% tax as the wellbeing of the workforce is put into the highest regard by the govenrment as a healthy workforce is a productive and happy one. Also, healthcare costs tend to be one of the most common causes of middle class bankruptcy and poverty and by eliminating this, a fmaily's wealth cna conserved during times of illness. Infrastructure spending is a high priority as it is a prerequisite for future growth, but only when necessary as the govenrment believes that building bridges to nowhere as a waste of their tax payers money. The district's low defence spending stems from the belief of the pacifist movement, as most Torettans are anti-war and believe that diplomacy is the answer to any international problems. Pensions All citizens can opt for the govenrment pension program, which is where they contribute 10% of their income into a governemnt pension fund that is withdrawn in retirement so that pension spending doesn't blow the government budget sky after the baby boomers retire a scenario that hasn't played well in Europe see the Eurozone Sovereign Debt Crisis. Balanced Budget Amendment The District's Constitution includes a Balanced Budget Amendment, where every new government spending program must be funded via tax increases or corresponding spending cuts in other departments as many Torettans do not want to go the same way as Greece. Similarly, tax cuts must be funded cuts in spendings form selected government departments. The govenrment should aim for a small structural surplus (The average surpluses and deficits accumalated over the business cycle) so that it can save for times of natural and economic disaster so that it can be able to provide vital aid to its citizens. In parliament, the ministers are bound not to vote in partisan lines, but vote with their conscious. Shared Parental Leave Scheme Being a working parent can be hard, and the district government recognises this. The people here believe that people should not be forced into making a choice about having a child or a career. So naturally the government businesses have colobarated in a Shared Parental Leave Scheme. Pregnancy and childbirth are two processes are naturally straining on the human body, and females are entitled to have paid leave one week before and three months after childbirth so that their body can recover. The male can have the day of childbirth and the after so that they can give their partner vital psychological support. Both of these periods off are paid by the government at 100% of their daily income to prevent pay discrimination. After the three months after childbirth is up, the parents share their days off with the baby, with each partner going to work with one on every odd day and the other on every second day to prevent pay discrimination. After the year is up, the child can be provided for at a local childcare centre paid by the government, where working parents can drop their child before and pick them up after their workday is finished. When one parent doesn't have employment, a baby bonus of $10,000 is given to help raise the child and also to prevent bloating the government's budget. Social Safety Trampoline In times of hardship, the district government has decided to replace the much beloved social safety net with a social safety trampoline. When one is unemployed, one can opt to increase their social mobility and employability by deciding to enroll in courses where much needed skills are taught so that they can go into better jobs. Internships are also offered. All of this paid for by the district government, but to reduce government sepdning to acceptable levels, the cost is deducted from unemployment benefits with the remainder given to the unemployed person. Small payments would still be given to pay for food and water. The Right to Breathe Clean Air and Renewable Energy Policies In Toretto, we believe that every single individual has the right to clean air and water. To those who pollute our atmosphere and waterways fines are implemented against the people responsible, until pollution levels are well below UN health guidelines. These fines are used to balance the budget and also to pay for recycling and renewable energy facilities. A pollution tax has been legalised. The least polluting energies such as solar and wind are therefore the ones that are the most economical in such an environment, reducing emmissions and global warming without the government spending a single penny, and that means no new taxes to be levied on consumers. Environmental Policies The TEPA (The Torettan Environmental Protection Agency) has been founded to proetct the environment by hvaing the power to shut down businesses and prosecute individuals and even the Torettan govenrment for seriously harming or damaging the local environment. Torettan Consumer Protection Agency In charge of prosecuting business that deliberately mislead or exploit the public and consumers as the people need a voice to stand up against deep pocketed big business. Category:Districts Category:Republic Of Awesome Economy The Economy of Toretto is based strongly on Agriculture and R & D. The Gross District Product has not been measured yet due to the newly independent nature of this district, but economic data will be available in mid August 2014 after the 2013-14 fiscal year is complete. Most inhabitants work outside Toretto, providing large amounts of revenue in terms of income to the district. 47% of the people are government free loaders who do not pay income tax. Agriculture Toretto is well known for its food. Western Toretto specialises in chicken raising and their subsequent products. Eggs and chicken meat makes up a significant proportion of exports, even though chicken phobia runs rife in this region. East Toretto specialises in horticulture and flora-culture. Large quantities of potatoes, sunflowers, tomatoes, rocket, lettuce and various other fresh vegetables are grown. Grapes, cherries, apricots, peaches and pears provide significant export revenue. Unfortunately the district is suffering from a huge glut of herbs such as rosemary, coriander and garlic chives*. There is a large brewing industry brewing beers and wine, used to appease and drunken the drop bears to render them as less of a threat. *Note: the District holds no responsibility over food poisonings due to its questionable food safety policies and practices. Research and Development Toretto is well known for its population of military engineers/strategists and their assistants who use their expertise to design new gadgets to defend the Republic of Awesome. There are many projects under development, including RC quadcopters designed to wreak havoc by dropping rotten eggs on anyone who dares to question the district's independence. Project Orpheus has now hailed as "the final solution" for bogan-proofing the district. However, not all research goes well. During the Pullitzer incident, scientists accidentally exposed koalas to toxic waste and nucleur radiation, forcing them to mutate into Drop Bears. Terrified of this, the researchers dumped them into the bush, where they have multiplied and wreaked havoc on an unimaginable scale on American Tourists. Recent District estimates have concluded that there is roughly fifty drop bears reintroduced to form a fromidable barrier against those wishing to invade this peacful district. These koalas have been exposed to radiation again, making them super vicious. For all those invading armies, look above your head. The cute koala clinging onto the branch above you might be your very last sight. Services A sushi and cocktail bar is due to open in the February of 2014, providing the district with valuable tourist revenue. Fiscal Situation The district is now close to bankruptcy due to heavy live TV betting, see the culture section below. However, bonds raised by the district government are tax exempt due to all profits on local government bonds are non taxable, representing an enormous boom to savvy investors. Transportation Both parts of Toretto are accessible through the ACT road system. However, the roads around East Toretto are of somewhat questionable quality. Within the district see the Transport System of the Republic of Awesome. Culture Toretto is a proudly multicultural district, with strong Australian cultural influences. Due to its unilateral secession from Australia in 2012, it is politically Libertarian. People in this district are very liberal when it comes to social issues, with Gay Marriage being in the process of legalisation, but conservative in fiscal and economic outlook.They follow Republic of Awesome Laws in conjunction with Australian Common Law. There is an ongoing "I'm Boganist and I'm proud of it!" social movement that is gaining traction in this district. Food Owing to its name, birds feature prominently on the menus of this country. Its national food is teriyaki sushi, its drink chocolate frappé and the national dishes are Duck l'Orange, Charnwood Roast Chicken and Turkey served with Cranberry Jelly and Horseradish Sauce served traditionally on Explosion Appreciation Day, and Duck l'Orange on Accession Day (23rd November) whilst Charnwood Roast Chicken being served on Independence Day. See Republic of Awesome Holidays However, there is a notable taboo against eating eggs amongst some inhabitants in West Toretto. This may be due to a belief that eggs are the children of the sacred birds. Yet they have no problem eating their mummies. Notable Customs Every year at Halloween, J-Horror Night begins. The vast majority of the population gets traumatised annually. One district resident who watched the freaky tape off The Ring amanaged to survive by positioning his television set on the top of the Empire State Building when his seven days was up. It was unknown if the psychotic little girl who crawled out of the TV survived. If she did, she must have a Grudge against him. Media The inhabitants of Toretto suscribe to an annual event on television called the Hunger Games, streamed live from the nation of Panem and are huge fans, with many betting heavily on the tributes. Unfortunately, the district is in near bankruptcy after all of its citizens put their money on Foxface. Also, when Foxface died, the district was full of cries for theit favourite couple Katniss and Peeta, referred to as PeeNiss, the only socially acceptable couple name there is in this district. Category:Districts Category:Republic Of Awesome